Why do i keep growing red algee in my saltwater reef tank?

i have a 30 gallon reef tank, proper lighting, anister filter, protein skimmer, a power head, a damsel, turbo snail, about 4 clams, and a pepermint shrimp. i keep growing red algee on the sand. i went to my fish store and got red slime remover. i used it like 4 times already it kills it but in a few days it starts growing back. dont know what to do.|||These "Red Slime Removers" only address the symptoms and kill these red algae which are most likely Cyanobacteria which is NOT a true algae.





Cyanobacteria thrive in conditions where light is less abundant in the yellow and green Kelvin temperatures where true algae and plants cannot use this light energy.





I would recommend increasing your light and make sure you have more in the actinic and in the best PAR range of 6400 K. Please refer to this article for further information: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/鈥?/a>





Also the use of UV Sterilization greatly removes the amount of Cyanobacteria in the water column and improves the Redox Potential as well which also aids in the removal of Cyanobacteria.





Finally I would suggest using Mexican Red Leg Hermit Crabs to help consume this "red algae" (Cyanobacteria)


I would also suggest reading this article as well, which has much more information about cyanobacteria (including tretments): http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/200鈥?/a>





:~) C|||you should probally check your phosphate level. also, im not sure, but red algae might be a good thing.|||Hmm... It doesn't sound like its harming the creatures inside the tank, it make make them feel more at home actually... But if you find it harming them, kill the algee and talk to someone at the fish store about it, and they might know how to stop it.|||Red/Slime Algae (Cyanobacteria) blooms are fairly normal in young aquariums. If this is a mature aquarium (6 months+) then you need to make sure that your bulbs are not too old, and that you are not overfeeding your aquarium. You may also try increasing your flow and doing more frequent water changes until you can get the algae under control. Also, if you are using tap water, this may also be fueling the Cyano.





High Nitrates and Phosphates are both contributing factors as well, so keep these levels as close to 0 as possible. Excessive nutrients are usually the main cause, so clean your canister filter regularly (as recommended), ensure that your protein skimmer is functioning properly, and only feed/supplement your aquarium with what it needs.





Regards